By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website, Copenhagen
**Formal negotiations at the UN climate summit have ground to a halt following wrangles about what documents should be used as the basis for talks.**Beneath the dispute lies a long-running accusation from developing countries that the Danish hosts are trying to sideline their concerns.
Outside, police clashed with protesters who stormed barricades around Copenhagen’s Bella Centre.
Activists have been angered by lack of progress on a new climate deal.
They also complained about restrictions on access to the talks.
Police detained more than 240 protesters during the clashes, which led to injuries on both sides.
As well as the negotiations at the summit, a succession of presidents and prime ministers has been delivering set-piece speeches.
Many illustrated the very different visions that exist of the deal that should emerge from this summit.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi gave some details of a proposal - drawn up with substantial French involvement - aimed at breaking the impasse here.
Delays
The day began - as many have - with a delay of more than an hour, leaving delegates less than 20 minutes to discuss reports back from various working parties.
On the most controversial issue - further emission cuts from developed nations - there was no agreement, the working group reported.
A succession of developing countries demanded proper talks on this and other issues, while the Danish chairs attempted to condense discussions so speeches from world leaders could begin.
Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told delegates that discussions based on new texts prepared by his office would begin at 1300 local time in a different room.
But the G77/China bloc of developing countries said that was unacceptable, demanding instead to negotiate on text generated during the negotiations that have been happening on and off throughout the year.
The Danish texts were shown to a few delegations and then, apparently, withdrawn.
At 1900 local time, delegates were still sitting in the hall with no information about what was happening.
Infuriated African group
In the main hall, meanwhile, leaders speeches continued, with Mr Zenawi - who chairs the African group here - among the first to the platform.
“Every one of us knows that Africa has contributed virtually nothing to global warming but has been hit first and hardest,” he said.
“But we are not here as victims of the past but… so that we can build a better and fairer future for all of us.”
RICHARD BLACK’S EARTHWATCH
“The African group reportedly gave the Ethiopian negotiator a real roasting about this at their routine morning meeting, because the proposal gives ground on some of the African bloc’s fundamental points”
Mr Zenawi related some elements of his proposal, including that the sum of $50bn per year by 2015 and $100bn per year by 2020 should be raised for poorer countries through “creative financing mechanisms” such as taxes on financial transactions and aviation fuel.
He acknowledged that he knew his proposal “would disappoint those Africans who from the point of view of justice have asked for full compensation for the damage done to our development prospects”.
It certainly infuriated the African group of negotiators, because it also endorsed positions that most African countries oppose - notably, a target for maximum temperature rise of 2C (the G8 and EU target), whereas most African governments are committed to 1.5C.
It is not clear whether his proposal has support from other African leaders, however, or from further across the community of poor vulnerable countries such as small island states.
Lord Stern, who has had a strong hand in developing the proposal, said it was “strong and reasonable”.
"There will be those who say, understandably, that the plan should go further, but we are at a critical stage in the negotiations.
“The rich countries should give their strong support to the Meles plan, which has been put forward by an African leader with the interests of developing countries at its heart.”
‘Worst impacts’
Other speeches exemplified the fault lines running through the process.
While EU delegates spoke of achieving the 2C target “if everybody is now ready to overcome the procedural obstacles”, developing countries made clear that they view the continuing chaos over texts as a matter of principle, not procedure.
And Nauru’s president, Marcus Stephen, demanded proper legal negotiations on the lower temperature target.
"The science tells us that we must limit the rise in global temperature to well below 1.5C to preserve the chance of avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.
“To accept anything less would mean the destruction of our marine ecosystems, shortages of food and water, and the relocation of our communities. Please tell mehow is this practical”
Earlier, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown conceded that a deal might not be achievable here.
But, he added: “If you don’t get an agreement this week, people will doubt whether you can get an agreement at all.”